Auto Buzz: New Suzuki, possible new Chevy

Chevrolet Tacuma Vision (Photo: General Motors)

The compact DVD player is fully portable, so it can be used out of the vehicle. The two screen units (one of which contains the DVD player) have seven-inch TFT screens for 16/9 widescreen viewing and, for out-of-vehicle use, the player has a rechargeable battery or can be plugged in to a wall outlet.

If the Tacuma Vision has a weakness in suiting Canadian tastes, it's probably up front in the engine bay, where a 1.6-litre inline-four engine resides. That may be a little small to suit the exaggerated power demands of many buyers in this country, but the engine can take the car to speeds in excess of 140 kmh so it's not exactly a slug. Perhaps the fact that it will also deliver strong fuel economy ratings if it's driven sensibly will strike a deeper chord, with fuel prices hovering around $1 a litre.

Best of all, the Tacuma Vision would be fairly reasonably priced if it came to Canada, even based on a straight conversion from the UK price, since it would come in for less than $25,000.

Let's hope Michael Grimaldi is listening.
photo:Suzuki and Chevrolet